Operating mechanism for washing-machines.



W. H. GEORGE. OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. 1914.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

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WILLIAI'E H. GEORGE, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO THE DEXTER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR VIASHING-IIEACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. GEORGE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of F airfield, in the county of Jefferson and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism for lVashing-ldachines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in operating mechanism for washing machines and the like and consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

The invent-ion as shown herein is applied to the operation of a washing machine of familiar type, consisting of a tub having a hinged lid in which is supported a shaft that depends into the tub and is provided at its lower end with a dolly or dasher adapted for an alternating rotary movement.

The operating mechanism is of the lever actuated, liiglrspeed-gear type and includes a prime moving lev r, fulcrumed to the side of the tub and a fly wheel located under the tub, together with mechanism on the one hand for imparting rotary, alternating movement to the dolly shaft and mechanism on the other hand for imparting a continuous rotary movement to the fly wheel.

In the drawings: Figure 1 represents a view in side elevation of a washing machine provided with my improved operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Referring now to that embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, indicates the tub, 11, a lid hinged to the top of said tub, and 12 the usual upright supporting legs thereof,said tub in this case forming the support for the operating mechanism.

13 indicates the dolly or beater which is non-rotatively connected to a dolly shaft 14 that is rotatively suspended from the top of the hinged lid 11 of the tub. Said shaft 14 has bearing ina sleeve 15 which projects through an aperture formed in said tub-lid and said sleeve is made integral with a plate 16 fixed to the top of the tub-lid.

17 indicates a gear fixed to the upper end of the dolly shaft 14 and 18 indicates a gear case for protecting said gear, the gear case being fixed to the plate 16.

19 indicates an upright prime moving lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends on a bracket 20 attached to the side of the tub.

21 indicates a bar which is pivotally connected at one end to the lever 19, and which is provided near its other end with a rack 22 that is engaged with the gear 17 at the upper end of the dolly shaft 11. The said rack 22 is ield in operative engagement with the gear 17 by means of a lug 23 rising from the plate 16.

The fiy wheel and the high speed gearing for operating it are carried on a board 24- which is attached in any convenient manner to the bottom of the tub. Said board is arranged diametrically of the tub. To the bottom of the board is attached a plate 25 on which are fixed depending studs 26 and 27 on which are mounted respectively, the fly wheel and the large gear of the high speed gearing.

28 indicates the fly wheel and 30, the largegear. The fly wheel is located in a horizontal plane below the plane of the large gear 30 which engages a toothed hub 29 formed at the upper side of the fiy wheel.

32 indicates a pitman which operatively connects the bottom end of the prime moving lever 19 with the large gear 80. Said pitman is connected at one end to a crank pin 31 on the large gear, and at the other end is connected to the bottom end of the lever by means of a coupling 33 which provides a universal oint between the lever and the pitman rod. Said coupling may be of any familiar construction.

The operation of the improved gearing is apparent from the foregoing description. The oscillation of the lever backward and forward toward and away from the tub will, through the rack bar 21 and the gear 18 at the top of the dolly shaft, impart an alternating rotary motion to said dolly shaft, and at the same time the oscillating movement of said lever will, through the pitman 32, the large gear 80 and the toothed hub 29 impart a continuous, rotary motion to he horizontal fly wheel.

By the construction and arrangement described, the fly wheel and high speed gearing is attached in a horizontal position underneath the tub, Where it will be out of the way, and at the same time, the bottom wall of the tub is not weakened by reason of this location. The board 2a not only provides a support for the high speed gearing relation before the board 24k is attached to the tub.

Another and important advantage of my improved gearing is that with the large speed gear located between the planes of the bottom of the tub and of the fly wheel 28, the fly wheel may be made of substantially the diameter of the bottom of the tub without ieclucing the rigidity of the supporting structure for the fly wheel and speed gear and Without strain to the bottom of the tub. 7

While in describing my invention, I have referred to certain details of mechanical construction and arrangement, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto except as pointed out in the appended claim.

1 claim as my invention:

An operating mechanism for washing machines and the like, comprising, in combination with a support having a horizontal bottom wall, an upright shaft carried by said support, a prime moving lever fulcrumed to the side of said support, means intermediate said lever and said operating shaft for communicating an alternating rotary, motion to said operating shaft, a base board fiXed'to the bottom of said support, a bracket plate attached to said base board, depending vertical studs fixed to said bracket plate, a fly wheel having a toothed hub rotatively mounted on one of said studs, a gear wheel meshing with said toothed hub rotatively .mounted on the other stud between said base board and said fly wheel, and means operatively connecting said gear wheel to said prime mover adapted for continuously rotating said gear wheel.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this third day of June A. D. 191 i.

WILLIAM H. GEORGE.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. V 

